by Spark Notes
First published 2014
Stanley Yelnats arrives at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center where boys dig holes in the desert as punishment. The camp sits on a dried lakebed in Texas, and Stanley must dig one hole every day, five feet wide and five feet deep. He was sent there for allegedly stealing sneakers, though he insists he's innocent. As Stanley digs, he uncovers the camp's dark history and discovers connections between his family's curse, the warden's treasure hunt, and a romance from a century ago. This SparkNotes guide walks you through each chapter of Sachar's story. Harvard students created these explanations to help you understand key themes like fate and friendship. The guide breaks down important symbols and motifs, then provides essay topics and a review quiz to test your knowledge.
Genres: fiction, classics, adventure, contemporary, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Camp Green Lake, Texas
Period: 20th-century
75 pages · Kindle Edition · Sparknotes